


The Science of Growing Up

by FanFareScribe



Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Canon Typical Violence, Father-Daughter Relationship, I finally got started on it!, More characters to be added, Multi, Platonic Apprentice-Mentor Relationship, Skeksis Typical Violence, Warnings will be in the End Notes, please do not copy to another site, tags will be added as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:02:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFareScribe/pseuds/FanFareScribe
Summary: (Working Title)Nivo is a little Gelfling, eager to study Thra and learn everything about it. How will her life be when she encounters the Scientist?
Relationships: OC & OC, Podling OC/Podling OC, SkekTek & Original Gelfling Character
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	The Science of Growing Up

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to start off by saying the relationship between SkekTek and Nivo will not be romantic. Mentor-Apprentice Relationship, borderline Father-like. 
> 
> I can't believe I'm doing this. And yet I am. 
> 
> Warnings are in the End Notes, jump to it so you can get a good look.

** Note: Words in [[brackets]] are translated from Podling language.

Nivo walks from her village, very eager to go on her little science expedition in the forest. A little lunch packed by one of her mothers hanging from her right shoulder and a bag full of scientific tools hanging from her left. In the bag, contained compass, a crude magnifying glass, some glass beakers, and of course, her journal. And a few small knives she took from the kitchen, to use as scalpels if necessary. She often finds dead creatures on these expeditions, and she often wants to look deep within them.

[[“Nivo! You stay right there!”]] One of her Podling mothers, Opa, shouts in Podlingese tackling the 8 trine old from behind with a scarf. “It cold. Will catch death! [[Also don’t forget that your father is coming home from Ha’Rar tonight, so if you want to see him, don’t be late!”]]

“I know, Opa,” Nivo responds, fastening the scarf on herself. [[“I’ll be home in time for the feast.”]] 

[[“You better! Not only is your father coming home for the feast, but another Skeksis is meeting with the Treasurer tonight and your father wants you there for it.”]] Opa shouts, crossing her arms. 

“Calm, calm, aminya...” Muno, her other mother, comes up from behind Opa, gently putting her hands on her shoulders. [[“Nivo has never been tardy for dinner once, has she? Don’t be so worried about her, she’ll be fine.”]] 

[[“Yes Opa, I’ll be fine. And I promise, I’ll bring the knives right back when I’m done with them.”]] Nivo chuckles to herself and leaves the area. 

[[“What knives? NIVO!”]] Opa shouts after her. 

\----

Nivo is a Gelfling born in the Sami Thicket. Her father is a Vapran, and her mother is (was?) a Sprittan, although she looks more like a Sprittan than a Vapran. At least that’s what other Gelfling tell her. It never really concerned her however. She never really paid attention to the looks of other Gelfling or Podlings. She just always focused on what she liked. She has hazel eyes and fuzzy yet shiny black long hair; it’s fuzzy up top but neatly extends down. She often puts the draped hair into braids. 

Her mother, Morla, left her father, Noros, in a heated argument when Nivo was 3 Trine old. Nivo would often ask what the argument was about in later Trine, but Noros would often brush it off. But Nivo would often just keep asking, and asking, and asking. Noros eventually got frustrated and explained that Morla just wasn’t loyal to the Skeksis.

The Skeksis, Nivo was taught from birth, are the guardians of Thra and the Crystal of Truth. Also taught from birth, the Crystal of Truth holds the life force of Thra. And the ancient Sage of Thra is Mother Aughra, who disappeared shortly after the Skeksis came to formation from the Crystal. Nivo was taught to read at a young age by her father and eventually taught to write. Nivo would often copy pages from books she has read and eventually started recording her own thoughts. Her handwriting is abysmal, and her sentence structure is...Lacking. But she is learning at a great pace, and her father is quite proud of her. That is what she wants. 

But she also wants to know more. “How does the Crystal of Truth power up the entire planet?” “But Noros, how did the Crystal of Truth create the Skeksis?” “Where is Mother Aughra?” “How does day become night time?” “How do the three suns and the three moons don’t crash into each other?” 

And more often than not, he is quick to brush off the questions. Nivo thinks he’s annoyed with her. 

[[“Don’t stop asking those questions,”]] Opa would tell her.

[[“Indeed…]] Muno would add on. [[”We never learn if we don’t ask questions.”]]

Opa and Muno are both podlings, the former being from the Sifan Coast and the latter from the Sami Thicket. Muno met Opa traveling to the Coast with her parents as a child, when she saw the brash girl caught in some trap. Muno freed her and they instantly became close friends. Opa would lead Muno to adventure while Muno would calm Opa with her singing. As soon as they reached the age to marry, they did, and every Podling in the Coast celebrated. Opa unfortunately had to go out to sea for a few Trine and it devastated Muno. And Opa quickly found out how dangerous most adventures were. They were ravage and rough, and every time Opa was called to sea, she would hope it would end soon so she could return to Muno. Opa eventually couldn’t take it anymore and begged Muno to take her to the Sami Thicket, only wanting a life of peace for her and her wife. Muno took Opa to the Sami Thicket where their new life was waiting for them.

Shortly after they settled into the Sami Thicket, they overheard an argument between two Gelfling. They didn’t ask much but the mother apparently left in a storming rage leaving the father and his daughter behind. Both of them looked quite devastated, so they invited the two to a feast, after they introduced themselves to each other. 

They went to the feast and overall had a wonderful time. Noros loosened up a little and got to know the two Podlings, conversing with them in their language the best he can. But it wasn’t a problem for neither Opa and Muno, as they both understood the Gelfling Language. Or “demotic speech” as Noros and apparently the Skeksis call it. 

Noros gradually opened up to the two Podlings day by day, and a few Unums later, their friendship became something….Well, a bit more. It wasn’t romantic by any means, but Opa and Muno pretty much brought him and his daughter into their little family. This thrilled Nivo, having gotten along with them so well, and Opa and Muno falling in love with her as if she was their own daughter.  
And since Noros was a ‘politician’ for Ha’Rar, he couldn’t stay home too often. There were some weeks where he worked from home, but often he couldn’t stay with the podling couple or Nivo. And Nivo couldn’t be brought to Ha’Rar either despite her desire to go with him. Apparently the people of Ha’Rar don’t take mixed childlings well and Nivo being part-Sprittan part-Vapran, Noros didn’t want to have other Vaprans ridicule her, so he leaves her in the care of Opa and Muno. 

Nivo learned to never mind it. Noros visits as often as he could, even if it’s a lot of Unums, and he writes often. Since a Podling language is often spoken and never written, Nivo often uses these letters as reading practice, reading them out loud to Opa and Muno. And often she writes back, detailing her learnings. Noros could never read her handwriting, nobody could except for herself, but he loved that she was getting better and better throughout the days. 

Nivo’s life is nothing if not full of discovery and amazement. 

\----

Nivo makes her way through the forest, collecting fruits and writing down the things she observes by cutting into the fruit, the roots, the trees. She’s learned that some leaves in certain trees are poisonous, causing an unbearable itch that wouldn’t leave for Unum. She’s learned what berries are edible and what are not, where the best hiding spots are, every creatures’ temperament. All through ‘observing.’ 

And she wants to know more. 

While she sits in the forest underneath a tree, eating her lunch, a loud screech is heard from the distance, cut off by a crash in a tree. The tree falls in the distance, and Nivo scrambles to pack everything up and immediately heads in that direction. 

Nivo trudges through all the foliage and branches and comes across an Arathim! A real life Arathim! The six legged creature is struggling as a harpoon has impaled it. Nivo winces as the creature eventually goes limp and dies. She feels bad for the creature but...She wants to see more. She takes out her notebook and goes to her Arathim page. “This is one of the big ones.” She mutters. “I think they call this kind ‘Spitters.’ I wonder what the other kinds look like.” She take out her magnifying glass and observes the creature. “Aaaah such a beautiful creature...Shame for you to die… Would have loved to see you hunt. You hunt with your sharp legs do you?” She looks at her notes. “‘Two kinds of Spitters: Poison and Silk.’ So which one are you?” She looks at the creature’s mouth and digs in. She recalls from Sprittan soldiers saying that a Spitter’s poison would be black and gooey and would sting the skin. But when she raises her hand out of the creature’s mouth, all it is is a clear gooey texture and her skin felt fine. Just a little gooey. “So you must be a silk spitter. ‘Silk ropey and strong. Hard to break.’” She reads. “‘Can be grounded to powder, used to hide one’s scent.’ Is what visiting soldiers would say.” But nobody ever used the silk for what it’s intended for. To lift things. If it really is unbreakable, perhaps it can be used to pull the heavy items in the village. But she needs to get a closer look. She grabs the sharpest and strongest knife she stole from the kitchen and goes to the creature’s abdomen, where she guesses the silk comes from. She tests the knife on it. “Ooh. Very good shell.” She writes down her observations and goes back to the abdomen. She has trouble cutting it, and looks up at the harpoon that is embedded in the creature. Maybe that will be sharp enough to pierce the shell. She tries to pull it out, but the thing is pierced through the creature’s body AND through the tree stump. She sighs sitting on the abdomen with a pout, and then notices a very heavy looking rock. She takes the rock and starts banging at the creature’s abdomen as gently as she can. She manages to crack the shell and she smiles. She’s in. She takes the knife and cuts through the creature’s insides, attempting to reach the silk glands. Goo splattering on her, but she’s not really caring. She digs her hand in once she made a good opening. 

Her ears perk up, hearing the sounds of talking. “The harpoon definitely hit the spitter, I could hear it screech.” 

“Damn it sounded like a big one, it knocked down an entire tree! I think we’re getting close!” 

Nivo looks up. She figured that the hunters would come eventually. But she didn’t expect them to come that fast. But she’s so close to the silk glands! Just a little more…

Multiple Gelfling make themselves known. Nivo looks up at them. A Drenchen lady, a Sifan man, and a few other Gelflings make themselves known. The Drenchen lady looks to be the leader. Nivo guesses an older teenager, awfully young to lead a platoon of soldiers. She carries herself with seriousness and honor. The assorted Gelflings’ armor looks the same. Each clan has their own design of armor, so Nivo can deduce one thing. 

“Castle Guards.” She mutters. 

“Umm..” The older Sifan man says. “Does anyone notice the little Childling on our kill…?” 

“Yes Piero, I noticed.” The Drenchen lady growls. “I also happened to notice the fact that she is tampering with the Spitter. Who the GROT are you and why are you interfering with our business?” 

“Hey hey, Yaila, calm down.” Piero whispers. “She’s only a kid.” 

“Well Sir Piero, I am digging into this creature’s abdomen. I suppose...She has every right to be angry with me. It is rude to be digging into someone else’s….prize. I just couldn’t help myself. I just had to study it. F-Forgive me...Lady Yaila…” 

“Where are your parents?” Yaila asks, looking authoritative.  
“At home.” Nivo says. 

“Well you can’t be out here alone with your arm digging in a spitter.” Piero says. “I recommend getting your hand out. You don’t know where that spitter’s been.” 

“Well he died in the forest, he must have been in the forest.” Nivo says simply. 

“Huh...Good point.” Piero says with an absentminded smile. 

“Stop making conversation with her, Piero!” Yaila says. “We’re behind schedule, and we need to get this spitter on the caravan! The Lord insists!”

“Th-The Lord...Meaning...A…” Nivo asks but being answered almost immediately

A loud trudging makes itself known. The trudging is accompanied by a grumbling how much he hates “field work” and wishing to get this outing over with. The giant Skeksis Lord comes into view and he looks at Nivo. He raises his eyebrows and his lips break apart showing his fangs.

“What is. This?” The Skeksis asks with a raspy voice. “Why is there a childling defiling the carcass?

“Our apologies, our lord Scientist! We’ll get childing away from it as soon as possible” Yaila answers with a bow.

With a squeeeelch, Nivo raises her arm out of the Arathim’s abdomen, leaving a thin trail of goop between her arm and the Spitter. The Gelfling Guards all squick with disgust, but the Skeksis is unphased. 

“The Scientist? THE...Scientist?” Nivo asks with surprise.

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: An Arathim gets impaled and Nivo studies it. Descriptions of said studying includes a lot of squicky body parts and body goo. 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and welcome. Come talk to me on FanFareKid


End file.
